Before you get to your synopsis, and before you get to your query letter, you should work on your logline. Being able to boil your story down to a one-line pitch is a different skill than the ones you use for writing a full-length novel, but I promise you, you can do it. Once you have your logline down, it’s going to be so much easier to expand on it to write out your query letter, and then expand that to write your synopsis. All of these skills are interconnected, though slightly different.
So what are the parts of a logline and what is used for?
- A logline is essentially a one-line pitch of your story.
- Your logline is intended to hook the reader in and describe the central conflict of the story.
- Should include protagonist (but not their name).
- Your protagonist’s stated goal should be specific and measurable.
- You need at least a conflict, if not an antagonist.
I’d love to hear your logline, or if you don’t have one yet, to help you write one. You can even share a logline of a story you have read!
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